Paying for LUG Meeting Space?

Johann asks: "Our LUG has been fortunate to hold meetings for the past two years in a corporate-sponsored basement auditorium. The sponsor pays for us to use this room, which seats around 50-60 comfortably. We normally fill the room. We have an offer to move to a meeting room in a Radisson hotel at a highly-reduced rate. This room has many advantages over our current 'free' one, such as better handicapped and after-hours access, internet connectivity, better temperature control, and room for more people. The only problem: the members likely will have to bear the costs of this room ourselves. So, my question to other LUGs: Are you paying for your meeting space? If so, by what means? Donations? Sponsors? Passing-the-Hat? How have the members taken to paying for space?"

Comments

IMHO

[Mathness]

any LUG meeting should be free. Mostly because this is one of the corner stones in the "movement".

The people who normally go to LUGs probably would not mind paying for better facilities, but most new and potential members, or people who are curious, will not since they have little or no idea of what excalty is going on at a meeting. Of cause the price have something to say as well.

The Bangalore LUG

[toolz]

At the Bangalore LUG, we have a simple system:

First of all, sponsored or not, members attending are expected to contribute something. We typically announce what the cost of the meet will be, and divvy it up over the expected number of attendees (typically 80-100), which sets the amount each person is expected to pay (ranges between Rs.66-Rs.100, with US$1=Rs.48).

We then scout for sponsors (which we usually get) and dump the sponsorship money into the pool, and reduce "gate fees" for members. If the sponsorship amount is less than the cost of the meet, members make up the difference.

However, even if the sponsorship covers the cost of the meet completely, we collect a minimal amount (usually Rs.25) from members. This minimum is never announced - members arrive mentally prepared to pay the full amount.

This is for two reasons: to stock up for lean times (next meet may not be sponsored, which happens occassionally) and to act as a "filter", so that the sponsor does not have to pay for people who aren't really interested in Linux/OpenSource, but who would come simply because there is free grub to be had.

It should be noted that we typically meet in upclass hotels, and place great emphasis on good food, airconditioning and facilities such as data projectors, screens, amplification and other stuff. This does cost a bit, but thanks to this system we have successfully pulled this off since 1998.

As an aside - we have been accused of "violating the spirit of Linux and OpenSource" by charging people for attending, or driving up the cost by using upclass venues.

I think that is a dumb attitude. The BLUG delivers a lot of value to its members in terms of technical talks, events and other stuff, and it isn't that we are taking candy from kids - the typical cover charge is far lower than what a student would spend on two beers and a meal (around Rs.120-150) at Bangalore's favourite watering hole - the Windsor Pub.

Since most of our members are IT professionals (hey, we are the *BANGALORE* LUG ;), the charge is *way* below the financial threshold of pain for anyone even casually interested in the meeting content, which is always well planned and delivered.